Improvement in maeine steam-goveenoes



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J O IIN B; GULDEN, 0F' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO 'HIMSELF AND JOHN P. CHESTON, lOE SAME PLACE, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND-'JOHN A. FULTON.

Letters PateutNo. 75,868, dated March ...'24, 186.8.

IMPROVEMENT 1N .MARINE STEAM-covenants.

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To ALL wfHoM MAY contraen:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. CULLEN, of Philadelphia, 'Pennsylvanim'have invented anA Improvement in Regulating the Speed-.of Propeller-Enigines;4 and I do hereby d c'clnre the following to be a full, clear, and exact .description of `the same. I

My inventioneonsists of a. steam-cylinder and piston, arranged in respect to a propeller-shaft so asto force the same rcarwards as the propeller leaves the water, but yielding a's the propeller sinks, in combination withI thevalve, to which the movement'oftheV shaft is so imparted as to regulate the passage of steam to, and consequently the speed of, the engine, in conformity with the ydip of the propellcr,'thereby preventing the sudden variation in the speed of propellerengines during the pitching and tossing of the vessel.

In order tovenable others skilled in the art'to make and apply my invention, I will now proceedto describe 4its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanyingv drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which Y i' Figure 1 is a side view of a propeller, driving-gear, and regulating-apparatus; and,

Figure 2 a plan view. I l

A A represent-part of the frames of a. steam-engine, secured to the-foundation B,'^and D the propeller shaft, turning in suitable boxes'on the frames, and in the outside bearing E, which may b e secured to the sternpcst oi' the vessel, as usual. Fis the propeller, and G a pinion driven by but somewhat broader than a cog-wheel, II, on the crank-shaft I of the engine. Collars on'the propeller-shaft permit 4the latter to have a limited endplay, .and to the inner end ol' this shaft is secured a. rod, J, passing into a cylinder, M, within which it is pros vided with a doublel piston,K, the front portion a of which is largerii'n diameter than the rear portion Ii, a portion of the cylinder having a bore adapted to the smaller part of the piston, and another portion of the cyla inder a bore adapted to. the larger part of the piston, asshown in g. 2. N is a steam-pipe, forming a communia cation between the boiler, and so communicating with the cylinder that the steam shall act directly on thc larger portiona of the piston,'and P is a steam-pipe communicating through tin-opening, e, in the cylinder, with the space between .the rearendof the latter and smaller portion ofthe piston, the steam passing through a similar opening,f, to the engine. y A

' The larger portion of the piston is of such anarea, compared with that of the smaller portion, that when the propeller is out of'water the excess of pressure of steam against the larger portion of the piston over that against the smaller portion, will force the propellersshaft rearward, and cause the smaller portion of the'pisto'n to cover more or less of the openings` e and f, through which the steam must pass to the engine, but when theblades ofthe propeller are deep in water, the resistance of the latter will force the propellcnshaftfow ward,overcoming the excess of pressure onthe larger portion of the piston, and causing the smaller portion to recede from the openings aand- Esens to permit the full supply of steam to pass to the'engine; hence it "will be scenthat the amount of steam passing to the 'engine will be in proportion to the extent of the immersion 'of the propellerfblades in the water, the supply Jof' steam, and consequently the` speed of the engine, decreasing ,as the propeller leaves the water, and incrc`asing'-as thedepth of the propeller in the water increases.

It will bc'seen, therefore, that during the pitching and tossing of the vessel, and the constant variations in-thc dip of the propeller, thespeedof the engine will relai; or increase according to the duty which it has to perform, und th'e wear and tear to which propellercngines are subjected by sudden variations in speed will be It is notessential thata dupleii piston and corresponding'duplex cylinder should be employed in carrying out my invention.. A'plain cylinder, as `shown in fig. 3,-may be used, and the varying movements imparted to the rod J by the varying differences between thepressure of steam against the piston, and the tendency of the propeller from time to time to 'overcome this pressure, may be imparted to any arrangement ofvalves connected with the pipe which conveys the steam'from the boiler' to the'engine.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A propeller-shaft, arranged ,within a vessel as s et forth, in -combination with esteem-cylinder and pistOn,

and with the devices described, or equivalent devices, whereby t-lio movements of the slml't are communicond to a. valve regulating the passage of steam to the engine, all substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof', I lmvcsigncd my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. CUL'LEN.

Witnesses:

J. B. COLLEP., W. J. R. DELANY. 

